or they had all promised to wait until the
first of January before doing anything. "I know," said Tell, "but he
drove me to it." And every man there who had left a little boy at home
felt that he too might have done the same thing.

Now that Tell had struck the first blow, some of the Confederates
wished to rise at once. But others said, "No, it is only a few weeks
now until New Year's Day. Let us wait."

So they waited, and everything seemed quiet and peaceful in the land,
for the Emperor sent no governor to take Gessler's place, as he was
far away in Austria, too busy fighting and quarreling there to think
of Switzerland in the meantime. "When I have finished this war," he
said, "it will be time enough to crush these Swiss rebels."

HERO OF PERSIA

RUSTEM

ADAPTED BY ALFRED J. CHURCH

I

THE SEVEN ADVENTURES OF RUSTEM

King Keikobad died, and his son Kaoues sat upon his throne. At first
he was a moderate and prudent prince; but finding his riches increase,
and his armies grow more and more numerous, he began to believe that
there was no one equal to him in the whole world, and that he could
do what he would. One day as he sat drinking in one of the chambers
of his palace, and boasting after his custom, a Genius, disguised as
a minstrel, came to the King's chamberlain, and desired to be admitted
to the royal presence. "I came," he said, "from the country of the
Genii, and I am a sweet singer. Maybe the King, if he were to hear me,
would give me a post in his court."

The chamberlain went to the King, and said, "There is a minstrel at
the gate; he has a harp in his hand, and his voice is marvelously
sweet."

"Bring him up," said the King.

So they brought him in, and gave him a place among the musicians,
and commanded that he should give them a trial of his powers. So the
minstrel, after playing a prelude on his harp, sang a song of the land
of the Genii.

"There is no land in all the world" this was the substance of his
song--"like Mazanderan, the land of the Genii. All the year round the
rose blooms in its gardens and the hyacinth on its hills. It knows no
heat nor cold, only an eternal spring. The nightingales sing in its
thicket, and through its valleys wander the deer, and the water of its
stream is as the water of roses, delighting the soul with its perfume.
Of its treasures there is no end; the whole country is covered with
gold and embroidery and jewels. No man can say th